


Even So, Your Presence Is Enough

by justlikeswitchblades



Series: What We Are [2]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Established Relationship, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-03
Updated: 2015-04-03
Packaged: 2018-03-21 00:52:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3671475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justlikeswitchblades/pseuds/justlikeswitchblades
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Akashi knows that he and Kagami don't have too much in common aside from their mutual love of basketball. Even so, he tries his best to find things they can bond over when they are able to see each other in person. Such activities include, but are not limited to, food, Mario Kart, Dragon Age, and making out with each other.</p><p>(technically written as a sequel to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/3456725">this</a>, though could admittedly work as a stand alone fic, too!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Even So, Your Presence Is Enough

**Author's Note:**

> apologies to my akatofu friends out there, i started writing this way before i ever knew that was a thing. i haven't been able to figure out if he's a vegetarian or not, and i wrote him eating meat in this, so i apologize if he indeed doesn't eat meat! my bad.
> 
> if you're coming here from [makeouts, freckles, and mochi](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3456725), i intend this to take place around nine months later!

The trip from Kyoto to Tokyo wasn’t terribly long, from an objective point of view. It didn’t even take up three hours—a length of time that could be filled with multiple games of shogi, if Akashi traveled with a partner who was willing to play it. Fortunately for his imagined rival, whose losses were undoubtedly absolute, he rode the train by himself when he traveled for pleasure. He instead occupied himself with other things, like a book of Tetsuya’s recommendation, the passing scenery, or his phone, to see how his players were doing in the Fantasy basketball league he arranged, the latter often causing him to click his tongue in annoyance when someone fouled or had a turnover. Professionals always seemed to allow far too much room for error.

The more and more he rode the train, however, the more slowly the hours seemed to move by. After a while, the scenery blended together, as did the words on the pages he tried to read. Perhaps the frequency of such train rides was weighing on his mind—but, then again, one trip every six or seven weeks wasn’t that much of an inconvenience. 

Maybe it wasn’t the amount of trips that was getting to him, brewed a thought in the back of his mind. 

Maybe, just maybe, he was becoming impatient to reach his destination. 

That wouldn’t be out of the ordinary. What was out of the ordinary was that he didn’t _mind_ feeling this way. Not that he enjoyed squirming in his seat, or letting out a sigh every few minutes, but Akashi was not so cold to deny the fact being able to visit his boyfriend made him, indeed, happy.

It was dark outside—he had decided to take the train after school on Friday for a change, rather than waiting until Saturday morning—but not terribly so, the sky graying slightly with light that came from buildings that reached higher and higher as the train steadily approached the city. He arched his spine and rolled his shoulders in a small, contained stretch, and caught his reflection in the window, glancing at his mirrored self for a moment. He pulled the black hood of his sweatshirt down, having chosen to ride in comfort as well, then looked at his phone as he drew it from his pocket. 

Drawing his finger across the screen, he unlocked the phone, then typed in a number, letting his eyes drift out the window as he lifted it to his ear. It rang one, two, three times.

“Hello?”

Akashi frowned as he heard fabric rustle for a moment. “Good evening, Taiga. You sound…occupied.”

“Just making dinner, that’s all. What’s up? Your train arrive yet?”

“Not quite, but I imagine we’ll get to the station in the next ten minutes or so.”

“You remember how to get to the subway from there, right? Remember, you take the Chuo Line, and then you transfer to—“

“Yes, Taiga, I remember. I can look it up on my phone if there are any problems. There’s nothing to worry about. Besides, there are more important things to talk about right now.”

“Oh? There are?”

“Yes. Like what you’re making me for dinner.”

Kagami laughed. “Dinner is stew. Beef, potatoes, vegetables. Rice, of course, and any other dishes, if I think of them.”

Akashi’s frown dropped away, the corners of his lips tugging upwards as he imagined the boy craned over a pot on the stove, phone sandwiched between his shoulder and his ear.

“I’m confident you will. So, the subway station in half an hour, then?” 

“Yeah, I’ll meet you there. See you later, Akashi.”

“See you soon, Taiga.”

Pulling the phone away from his ear, he ended the call with a press of a button and leaned back into his seat, sharing a look with the reflection in the window as his smile grew a little wider.

***

The spring night air was crisp as Akashi exited the station. He inhaled a breath, letting it wake him up from the listlessness of the long ride, then set off, weaving the best he could through Tokyo’s pedestrian traffic with a duffel bag on his shoulder. His movements were deft, legs eager to shake the stiffness that came with sitting for hours.

“Akashi!”

He had managed to walk a block by himself and was waiting to cross the street when he spotted Kagami at the other end—considering his height, he would’ve been near impossible to miss. The light changed, and Kagami jogged across to meet him in the middle, doing a U-turn to walk by his side as he continued along. 

“Sorry for being late! How was your trip?” Kagami asked with an animated grin as he lifted Akashi’s bag from his shoulder, sliding it across his body when they reached the sidewalk. Akashi smiled in response.

“Don’t worry about it, Taiga. I think I have the route to your apartment nearly memorized by now, so a minute or two of lateness is no inconvenience. And the train was fine. Uneventful, but that’s not a bad thing. The subway was surprisingly painless, too.” He cocked an eyebrow, inquisitive. “And your day?”

Kagami screwed up his face in thought for a moment. “Mm, it was okay. Not much happened, other than school and practice. But hopefully that’ll change, now that you’re here.” He shrugged noncommittally, and Akashi narrowed his eyes, scoffing in mock offense. 

“You sound unenthused, Taiga.”

“Not that I’m not excited, don’t get me wrong! It’s just that, other than basketball, it can be hard to think of things we can do together…like, you know, similar interests and…stuff…” His words petered off in an awkward, open-mouthed frown as he glanced at Akashi. The boy rolled his eyes gently.

“I suppose my sarcasm isn’t too obvious sometimes. My apologies. I don’t disagree with you—our hobbies don’t overlap a terrible amount, that’s true.” Akashi smiled as he looked up at Kagami. “Even so, Taiga, your presence is enough.”

The boy blinked, eyes widening as his frown dropped into a gaping stare. He looked away a moment later, cheeks matching the color of his hair, and he rubbed his nape, pouting as he searched for a response. Then, he let out a breath, his hand dropping back to his side.

“I—yeah. That’s true.”

They turned the corner, walking further away from the main drag. The area had a slightly more suburban feel—there was a small playground nearby, though only a few rowdy sixth grade boys populated its bright plastic structures at this hour. The sidewalks were still well illuminated, a streetlight at each corner, but they were far from crowded, Kagami stepping behind Akashi for a moment as a dog walker passed them by. Akashi steeped himself contentedly in the lull in their conversation, basking in the quiet hum of the nature around them and the sound of their footsteps on cement. 

But, nothing could be tranquil for long. His stomach let out a prolonged gurgle of a noise, and he wrinkled his nose just slightly, not only at the pang of hunger, but also at the snort that came from his partner.

“Not a word, Taiga,” he warned darkly as Kagami snickered. Kagami, however, had long ago realized that Akashi’s threats were of little harm to him. The boy shot him a glare, and he stifled his laughter, but he still grinned at him, entertained.

“Y’know, Akashi, I could’ve brought you something to eat if you were that hungry—my fridge is always full of leftovers. Or we could’ve stopped somewhere. I know you’re not a huge fan of casual food, but still...” Kagami teased him gently, raising an eyebrow with a smile. Akashi pinched the bridge of his nose, brows furrowing for a second. But the tight line he had pressed his moth into faded away quickly, white teeth flashing as he let out a breath of a laugh. 

“Oh, Taiga…” He smiled up at the boy. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Kagami flushed for the second time in minutes, but he smiled this time, his eyes flicking up to gaze at the night sky as he slid his hand into Akashi’s.

“I missed you, too.”

***

Akashi lifted the white bowl to his lips, drinking the savory brown broth down. He set it back down on the table when he finished, flopping back on the floor with a contented sigh as he held his stomach. However, the noise soured into a groan as he watched Kagami pick up his bowl, intending to fill it with more food.

“You’re going to make me _fat_ , Taiga.”

Kagami paused, hovering over the crockpot, forehead wrinkling with concern. “You sure you don’t want any more? I mean, with how loudly your stomach growled earlier…”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.” Akashi sat back up with a stretch, meeting Kagami’s gaze when he lowered his arms. “I don’t want you worrying about me, though, so I suppose some more rice wouldn’t hurt.” He rested his chin in his hand, fingers nearly hiding his smile as Kagami happily filled his bowl. 

“I wouldn’t mind having some more meat, too, while you’re at it.”

Kagami paused and narrowed his eyes at Akashi, regarding him with suspicion. “Well, now it sounds like you just wanted me to serve you.”

Akashi looked at him innocently, placing his hand on his chest. “Me, take advantage of you like that? Taiga, I would _never_. And frankly, I’m offended you would ever insinuate such a thing.” He grinned, gripping the table as he moved to block the kick Kagami aimed at him, their socked feet grappling for a few moments until the taller boy finally relented. He sighed and leaned over the slow cooker, and plopped a few pieces of meat into Akashi’s bowl with his chopsticks before handing it back to him. He accepted the food gratefully.

“To be fair, Taiga, I don’t think I’m capable of saying no to your cooking, so you serving me is actually a measure of self-control, if you think about it.” He popped a cube of meat into his mouth, chewing it slowly to relish the flavor. When he swallowed, he stuck out his leg, toes grazing the sole of Kagami’s foot. “I hope you don’t mind.”

Kagami felt warmth spread through his chest as smiled into his bowl. 

“Nah, that’s fine.”

***

Akashi rinsed soy sauce stains from one of the bowls, the warm water streaming from the faucet splashing onto his hands. He shut off the water and carefully placed it atop the other clean dishes in the drying rack, hoping it wouldn’t topple before it dried. He grabbed a towel and stepped out of Kagami’s way as he moved to place a pot in the sink, filling it up with soapy water to let it soak, then dried his hands, tossing it to Kagami afterwards so he could do the same. 

Akashi paused as he walked out of the kitchen and placed his hands on his hips, pursing his lips as his eyes scanned the room. Kagami’s arms snaked between the gaps, wrapping around his waist. He placed a kiss on his crown. 

“What’s up?”

Akashi slid his arms over his, running his thumb over the back of his hand, and Kagami slumped forward, leaning his chin on his shoulder.

“Mm, trying to figure out what we should do next.” 

“We could play a one-on-one.” Kagami lifted his head to peck Akashi’s cheek, but his lips met his hand as Akashi gently pushed him away with a smile.

“No. Not this late, at least.” Akashi’s gaze stopped on the television. “…I would be open to playing a video game, though.” He slid out of Kagami’s arm and walked over to the stack of games, and Kagami followed, plopping down next to him as he knelt to look at the titles.

“Gotta be honest, I’m pretty sure I don’t own anything even remotely similar to chess.”

“I can’t say I’m surprised, but I suppose I’ll manage. What about that game I watched you play the last time I was here? The one where you tried to romance the handsome man with the mustache—I think he could use magic, or something like that. That was fun.”

Kagami tilted his head, weighing the possibility of the Bioware game in his mind. “True, but that part of the game isn’t really made for multiple players. I’d rather pick something we could both play, y’know?”

“Fair enough. Do you have anything in mind, then?”

“Well, since you don’t want to go outside and play basketball, we can always play NBA Live. Smash Bros and Mario Kart would work, too, though they tend to be even more fun with more people around. I have more, but those are just the ones that are coming to mind right now.”

“I’ve never actually played Mario Kart. Is it fun?”

Kagami’s jaw dropped. “You’ve _never_ played Mario Kart?”

“Do I _look_ like the type of person who plays Mario Kart?” Akashi deadpanned in response.

“Well, not really, but you never know…”

“It’s not like I haven’t heard of it—it’s just that I’ve never played it before.”

“Yeah, and I’m going to change that tonight. You can go sit on the couch while I set it up, if you want.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Akashi stood, only to curl up on the couch moments later. He watched Kagami’s back as he set up the game, muscles shifting under his shirt as he leaned over, and Akashi wished for a moment that Kagami wore tighter clothing more often—not that he was about to feed his collection of graphic tees himself. The thought slinked away as Kagami stood, the loading screen flashing into view behind him as he walked up to Akashi and handed him a controller. The couch cushions shifted a little as he plopped down next to Akashi, crossing his legs as he set up the game. Akashi leaned over, pressing his cheek against Kagami’s shoulder, eyes flicking between the widescreen TV and the smaller screen that he held in his hands. 

“I’m your guest, and yet you get to use the cooler controller. Hm.”

“Well, technically this is the console itself. You really don’t much attention to video games, do you?”

“No, no I do not.” Akashi straightened, watching the character selection screen appear. He toggled the joystick with his thumb, letting a small laugh out through his nose when he passed over the gangly purple character.

“Huh. I didn’t realize Atsushi had an evil twin.” 

“Is that even possible? Murasakibara is already terrifying enough as is”

Akashi smiled and nodded in agreement. None of the drivers appealed to him terribly, but he eventually selected a slender blond girl clad in blue, while Kagami picked the ape, which he supposed was somewhat fitting. 

“What track do you want to race on?”

“Mm, no preference. You pick.”

“Suit yourself,” sang Kagami in a teasing voice, and Akashi narrowed his eyes as he selected the course, the title of Rainbow Road becoming fairly apt as the screen showcased the colorful track. It didn’t _look_ that menacing, true, but he wasn’t about to fake too much confidence, either. 

“A is for accelerate, B is for brake, and the left button on the top of the controller lets you use items. Pretty sure that’s all you need to know.” Kagami glanced over at Akashi and had to bite back a laugh when he saw how intensely his eyes were focused on the screen. He leaned over and jostled his shoulder with a laugh as the game counted down from ten.

“You don’t have to be so serious! It’s just a game.”

“I know,” said Akashi as he returned the nudge. “But admittedly, so is basketball. I’m allowed to take it seriously.” Kagami rolled his eyes.

“Whatever.”

 _“Go!”_ boomed the announcer’s voice, and Kagami jammed the A button down with his thumb, zooming down the track. He expected Akashi to be in hot pursuit, but looking at the split screen quickly allowed him to see the princess avatar cruising along the track at a moderate, even slow, speed, falling into last place. His forehead wrinkled with confusion as he glanced at Akashi sitting next to him.

“…Are you even _trying_ to play?”

“Of course. I’m just scouting the track first.”

“Seriously? There’s a map of the course right there in the bottom corner! Is that not good enough for you?”

“I’ve never played this game before, Taiga—I can’t say I can trust it so easily. And I wouldn’t expect you to pick an easy course for me, so I think it’s only natural to be wary in this situation.”

Kagami though for a moment that he would have pressed his face into his palms if his hands were free, a little exasperated, perhaps. But, at the same time, Akashi was right—he picked one of the hardest tracks in hopes that he’d be able to win a little easier. Sometimes his ego needed a little stroking, too. That was fair, right? 

“I guess that makes sense. But good luck even getting into the top five from all the way back there.”

“Thank you. I’m sure I’ll need it.”

Akashi finished the first lap of the circuit in silence, then began to drive with a little more purpose. The coins he collected on the track gave him a boost of speed, allowing him to sneak up into eleventh place, then tenth, steadily approaching ninth, but he was still far from being anywhere close to winning. His avatar ran into an item box as he went through a turn, and it spun for a moment before dispensing a spiky, blue shell. Kagami hissed out a curse under his breath, and Akashi lifted his eyebrows. Intrigued as he pressed the button on the controller’s shoulder. The shell zoomed down the track, first knocking out a bulky dragonesque character in fifth place. It slammed into Kagami’s avatar seconds later, and his kart spun out due to the impact. Akashi snorted and clapped a hand over his mouth, humming with laughter. 

Kagami wrinkled his nose. He grumpily muttered something unintelligible as he narrowed his eyes at Akashi, who returned the expression with a poor attempt at an innocent smile. 

Kagami regained control of his cart after being knocked back into fourth place, managing his way into third just before crossing the finish line. Akashi ended up in seventh. 

He set down his controller and stretched his arms over his head, the computer-controlled players celebrating as they jumped around on the end screen, then looked at Kagami with a smile.

“That was fun, wasn’t it?”

“I _guess_ …probably would’ve been better if you actually tried to play, just sayin’,” said Kagami as he leaned his forehead against his shoulder. Akashi exhaled and pecked the top of his head.

“Hey, I _did_ try. Could I have been more ruthless? Sure. But I still tried.” He felt Kagami smile against him through the fabric of his shirt before he lifted his head.

“I suppose I’ll accept that.” Kagami’s hand slid up his back, fingers brushing over his shoulder blade. “Want to play again?” 

Akashi’s lip twitched upward, pursing slightly as he weighed the question in his mind. Kagami smiled and placed a light kiss against his shoulder.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. It’s fine.” Akashi nodded, covering his mouth with his hand as he yawned.

“I would like to take a bath, if that’s okay with you. It’s been a long day.”

“Well, it’ll have to be a shower, but sure, go for it.”

Akashi stood up from the couch, moving a little reluctantly as he extricated himself from Kagami’s arms with a small sigh. 

“Of course it is. I keep forgetting how horrendously American you are sometimes.” 

Kagami grinned at the statement. “Please. You wouldn’t have me any other way.”

***

There was a brief moment when Akashi turned off the shower where he was still warm from the hot water, but it ended quickly as a shiver shot through his body. He pulled the curtain aside and stepped onto the bathmat, grabbing the towel hanging from the rack on the wall and pressing his face into the soft terrycloth. After drying his face, he slid the towel up, rubbing it against his scalp for a moment to take the moisture from his hair. He placed it on the edge of the sink when he finished, then took the larger towel from the rack and wrapped himself up in it, savoring its warmth as he dried off. 

Minutes later, he folded the towel and placed it back on the rack, then turned to his clothes, folded neatly in a stack that sat atop the closed toilet lid. He pulled on his shirt, some old grey thing he had gotten when he had participated in a casual summer basketball tournament back in his middle school years. His boxer-briefs were a similar color with horizontal stripes of red that hugged his thighs. He picked the towel up from the countertop and slung it around his neck, then stepped out from the bathroom, mirror still a little foggy from his shower.

Kagami had changed into a black T-shirt and blue, green, and white flannel pajama pants. He sat on the floor in front of the couch, legs stretched out in front of him, game controller in hand. Akashi’s lip curled up as he approached him. He plopped down beside him, content, but then gasped in mock horror as he watched the familiar mustachioed character sauntered across the screen.

“Taiga! You’re playing this game without me? I’m hurt…”

Kagami snickered. “If you want to play it so badly, you should just buy it yourself, you dork.”

“You know, that’s not the worse idea. What’s his name again?”

“Dorian.”

“Right.” Akashi leaned his head against Kagami’s shoulder. He watched Dorian approach Kagami’s character, red-haired like the boy himself, and pull him in for a kiss, wrapping his arms around his waist. The screen faded to black, only to show Dorian stark naked seconds later. Akashi let out a low whistle, and Kagami laughed under his breath. Akashi couldn’t quite catch all the words they spoke—he was fairly proficient in English, but the character’s accents didn’t really help his comprehension. Still, he was able to follow the basics of their conversation. The characters discussed the nature of their relationship, and the options Kagami picked ultimately decided that they would work their way towards more of a romance. Dorian pushed Kagami’s character back onto the bed they sat on, and Akashi placed his hand on Kagami’s forearm, fingers pressing into his skin, breath hitching a little in his throat even as the scene faded away. 

Kagami paused the game and looked towards him, setting the controller down. Slowly, Akashi rose up onto his knees. He moved in between Kagami’s legs and wrapped his arms around his neck, eyes half-lidded as their lips lightly brushed together. Kagami placed his hands on his waist and pulled him closer, gently squeezing his sides. Akashi moved his hand to cup his cheek, tracing tiny circles with his thumb on his skin.

“Do you play that game when you miss me, Taiga?”

Kagami laughed softly, the exhale of breath warm and light against Akashi’s skin. 

“Not really. I usually just end up calling you, if it’s bad. But Dorian’s got a shitty dad, and he likes chess, too, so he might make a decent substitute.” One hand crept around to rub the small of his back. “Having you here is always preferable, though.”

He stretched forward for a kiss, and Akashi met him eagerly, kissing him long and slow. He pulled away for a small breath, then leaned back in, kissing him harder this time. He nipped and licked Kagami’s lower lip until he opened his mouth, and he slipped his tongue inside, gripping him tighter as he explored his mouth, his tongue batting against Kagami’s own as the space around them filled with sounds of the warm, wet kiss. 

Akashi found himself panting softly moments later, and dropped away from the kiss reluctantly to take a breath, lips almost aching. Kagami buried his face in his neck, breathing heavily as well, running his hands up and down his back. Akashi felt wet lips brush against his skin. It was light at first, but soon his neck was being peppered by a steady stream of kisses. Kagami yanked down his collar with his fingers and sucked at the base of his neck. Akashi hissed out a breath as Kagami dragged his teeth over his skin, but he still cradled his head closer, the pleasant feeling swallowing up the tiny pricks of pain. 

Kagami pulled away when the spot of Akashi’s neck was sufficiently red and tender, certain that a bruise would form the next morning. He leaned back against the couch cushions, and Akashi moved forward, pressing his forehead against Kagami’s in a rough nuzzle. He breathed out a laugh as Kagami’s hands slid up into his hair, mussing his faintly damp locks. 

“I missed you, Taiga.” Akashi’s voice was soft, a little hoarse in his throat. Kagami turned, pecking his cheek.

“Me too, Akashi.”

Akashi pulled back and failed to stifle a yawn with his hand. 

“I guess I’m pretty tired, too. Want to head to bed?”

“Sure.” 

Akashi stood up with a stretch, helping Kagami up seconds later. He headed into the bedroom and slid into bed, a tiredness settling into his limbs when he finally made himself comfortable. Kagami entered the room a few minutes afterward, having brushed his teeth and turned off the lights in his apartment, and sat on the edge of the bed. 

“Is it cool if I turn on some music?”

“Mmhm.”

Kagami’s phone screen illuminated the room for a moment as he put his music on shuffle. He placed the phone on his nightstand and slid into bed as a soft song started up, wrapping his arms around Akashi’s waist from behind as he pressed close, spooning him. Akashi wasn’t paying much attention to the music, but his brain slowly recognized the melody, it was ultimately too late.

“Taiga, I swear to god, if you—”

“I’LL MAKE LOVE TO YOU/LIKE YOU WANT TO/AND I’LL HOLD YOU TIGHT/BABY ON THROUGH THE NIGHT/I’LL MAKE LOVE TO YOU” Kagami crooned loudly in his ear, gyrating his hips against his ass, his poor singing broken up only by his cackling. Akashi groaned loudly, though admittedly he couldn’t hold back a smile as he crawled atop to Kagami to snatch his phone away. 

“Ow! Noooo, don’t shut it off!” 

“I’m sorry, Taiga, but your music privileges are being revoked.” 

Kagami whined as he tried to wrestle the phone back, but Akashi yanked it away and unlocked the screen, ultimately silencing the music, catching a glimpse of his pout before the light switched off.

“I was just trying to have some fun…” he said with a sigh, prodding Akashi’s side as he flopped back down, facing him. “It’s not like _you_ listen to anything interesting.”

Akashi wrinkled his nose at the hint of snark. “I _do_ listen to music, thank you very much.”

“What do you like to listen to, then, huh?”

“Well, I suppose mostly classical music, to be honest. But not all dubstep is terrible, either.”

“Oh, the high and mighty Akashi, his music tastes are so complex and varied…not.” The smug tone rang loudly in Kagami’s voice, and Akashi clicked his tongue in a small gesture of annoyance.

“…I like to listen to other things, too.”

“Yeah? Like?”

“…Well,” murmured Akashi finally, “I haven’t been able to hear it much, but waking up to the sound of you cooking breakfast has been really nice.”

Kagami swallowed.

“Oh.”

“Your snoring is pretty fun to listen to, too.”

“Really? Wait, I don’t snore!”

“You do after we have really nice sex.” 

Kagami widened his eyes and felt heat start to rise to his cheeks. He hoped Akashi wouldn’t be able to make out his expression in the darkness of the bedroom. Akashi cracked a smile and edged closer to him.

“I like when you say my name. Even better, I like when you _moan_ my name. That’s always a pretty big confidence booster. And finally—”

“Jesus.” Kagami wheezed out a breath, face hot, growing more flustered by the second. “There’s _more_?”

“…I was just to say that I liked hearing you say ‘I love you’.” Akashi said quietly, his fingers finding Kagami’s in the sheets, weaving together almost shyly. “That’s all.”

Kagami gulped. He opened his mouth, then closed it, gently squeezing Akashi’s hand. He lifted his other hand and touched his cheek, kissing him softly as he found his lips in the darkness.

“…Well, that’s good, because I really like saying that.” His voice was low in his throat, husky. Akashi moved closer, leaning their foreheads together, and squeezed Kagami’s hand in return. 

“You can say it again, if you’d like.” His voice dropped down to a whisper as he spoke. Kagami was silent for a moment—all Akashi could hear were the sounds of his soft breathing.

“…I love you, Akashi.” Kagami cracked a grin. “Even if your taste in music is terrible.”

Akashi wheezed out a laugh, the noise interrupting the near silence in the room. His arms slid around Kagami’s neck, fingertips brushing against the ends of his hair as he pulled him in for another kiss.

“I guess that’s why I have you around, huh?”

“Can’t say I see any other reason to stick around.”

Akashi smiled. He pressed close, limbs tangling with Kagami’s in some semblance of a comfortable matter as they settled into bed, finally closing his eyes when he heard his breathing turn deep and slow.

“I love you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> FINALLY FINISHED THIS FIC. i literally created the word doc that contains this fic on january 15th. lord. anyways, thank you for tuning in for this installment of these two dorks. as i said in the beginning, this takes place nine months or so after the first fic, and that's obviously a lot of time! i hope i'll eventually be able to write the stuff that fills in that space, and i sure hope it won't take as long, either. 
> 
> [here's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b76wF7HCoqE&index=11&list=PLEBG8jZqdlbdRzruIv9uARlhzXC3pj0uM) the video i used as reference for the da:i scene, and [here's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV8vB1BB2qc) a link to the song kagami's singing.
> 
> thank you for reading!!


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